The Linux Foundation and Coursera Launch New Specialization for Open Source, Linux and Git

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, announced today that enrollment for a new 4-course specialization, Open Source Software Development, Linux and Git is now open. Offered through the world's largest online platform for higher education, Coursera, students will attain the skills and knowledge needed to work comfortably and productively in open source development communities; have a good understanding of the Linux environment, as well as methods and tools required to successfully use it; and know how to use Git, the distributed version control system. This is the first time The Linux Foundation and Coursera have partnered to provide training opportunities.

Developed by the Linux Foundation's Director of Training, Jerry Cooperstein, The Open Source Software Development, Linux and Git specialization is a remote learning program designed to give students a strong foundation of skills for working in open source development communities. It is designed for experienced computer users and developers who are looking to enter the world of open source development.

The specialization provides up to 70 hours of lectures and features labs for a hands-on learning experience. It requires that students have some familiarity with other operating systems, and experience working in the command line is also helpful, though not required.

A Coursera specialization is a series of related courses designed to help learners master a specific topic. To complete the specialization, learners must complete with a passing grade every course in the specialization.

"Coursera has a fantastic track record of making quality training programs accessible to individuals all around the world, and we are thrilled to partner with them on this new specialization," said Linux Foundation General Manager, Training & Certification Clyde Seepersad. "Open source continues its dominance in software development and technological innovation, and providing opportunities to access this type of training will be hugely beneficial to individuals who have previously only worked on proprietary products."

"At Coursera, we partner with leading organizations to help learners acquire the high-demand skills for the jobs of the future. As more professionals seek to utilize innovative technologies like cloud, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, open source software development skills become critical," said Kevin McFarland, Head of Industry Partnerships, Coursera. "We are excited to partner with The Linux Foundation, the authority in Linux open source development, to bring these invaluable skills to developers around the world."

Open Source Software Development Methods is designed to introduce open source software to students as well as cover its history and the benefits it has provided to the global technological infrastructure. Participants will learn how to work productively while using open source projects, and learn the best practices involving collaboration. The class will also discuss the methods that are commonly used for open source, the use of hosting providers such as GitHub, and provide examples of previous open source projects.

Linux For Developers is designed to introduce students to the Linux operating system and teach them how to work comfortably at the command line. Students will be introduced to the Linux platform, and acquire the essential skills necessary for working with the operating system. Students will learn important skills such as learning how to separate the kernel from the Linux operating system, and how to make contributions to it.

Linux Tools For Developers will focus on utilizing the tools needed for everyday work involving Linux. The course will cover the command line tools that are used daily by developers. The course will also focus on bash scripting where students will learn how to construct scripts and how to successfully complete complicated tasks in an automated fashion. Students will also learn about files and filesystems, and learn how to compile programs in Linux using compilers such as GCC.

Using Git for Distributed Development will focus on using Git for open source software development. The course will prepare students for using Git efficiently and help them make contributions to projects in a short timespan. Throughout the course, students will learn about Git workflows, how to identify problems in workflows, and how to find solutions to solve such problems.

About The Linux FoundationThe Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

About CourseraCoursera is an online education company that partners with 170 of the world's top universities and industry leaders to offer courses, Specializations, and degrees that empower learners around the world to achieve their career, educational, and personal enrichment goals throughout their lives. Since launching in 2012, the company has grown to 35 million registered learners who can choose among 2,900 courses and 300 Specializations. Leading universities are now also working with Coursera to offer online degrees in areas like business, computer science, data science, and public health. Coursera is backed by leading venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, New Enterprise Associates, GSV Capital, International Finance Corporation, Laureate Education Inc., and Learn Capital.